Hotel Angelique
by m0vi3angel
Summary: Years after Hogwarts, Draco saves Hermione from a terrible suffering. Yet neither know what the intentions are of the other as each revert to their old ways. Once separated, their emotions wreak havoc upon their lives. Can they truly forget one another?
1. Unfortunate

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! I DON'T EVEN OWN HOTEL ANGELIQUE; MY FRIEND DOES. SEE A/N AT BOTTOM.**

_Dear Hermione,_

_Since I last saw you, it has felt like a lifetime. I long to see your face again, even for just a second. I've spent hours thinking of you, your smile, your warmth, your grace. I know your don't feel the same way about me, but please, let me see you again, even if it's for one last time._

_Meet me at 8:00 pm at the Hotel Angelique on Lilac Lane._

_I hope to see you there._

_Always and forever,  
__Blaise_

Hermione gently closed the letter and replaced it in the envelope. Blaise was so sweet. So why didn't she love him like he did her? She shook her head. Now was not the time for contemplating complicated emotions.

She quickly gathered her things and checked her appearance, which included a stunning midnight blue evening dress adorned with sparkling diamonds, a few pieces of jewelry, and a fancy up do courtesy of Sleekeazy's Hair Potions, then prepared to apparate.

* * *

CRACK! 

The sound pierced through the night like a gunshot. Hermione winced. 'I sure hope nobody heard that,' she thought nervously.

Brushing some lint off her dress, the young witch began to walk out of the alleyway where she had just apparated, only to find a hand on her arm dragging her back into the darkness.

"Hey there. You're a pretty one," a thick voice sounded in her ear. A rough hand began to run up her thigh.

Struggling desperately, Hermione tried to loosen the man's grip, only to have it tighten around her neck, cutting off her oxygen supply. This was definitely not on her to-do list today. 'Damn it, why didn't I bring my wand?' She mentally slapped herself, not that it helped her situation much.

Still attempting to get away, Hermione somehow managed to find her attacker's toe and smashed her heel into it. Hearing the man howl in pain and release her, she thanked every god she knew that she had decided to wear her 3-inch stilettos tonight.

"Help! Somebody help me!" She began stumbling blindly through the alley, hoping beyond hope that someone would come to her aid.

"Shut up, you stupid bitch!"

A large hand grabbed the back of her dress, yanking Hermione back to face the man. She tried in vain to push his hands off of her, only to find one of them connecting with her face. Disoriented and dizzy, Hermione's vision began to dim from the impact of the hit. The man's smug chuckle reached her ears before falling limply in his arms.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**The actual author of this story is my best friend. She has given me this story because she knows how much I love Draco/Hermione. This is sort of a gift from her to me, an ongoing one. Although she has already written 9 chapters, she is still not finished with the story. She is very busy with schoolwork which means that updates after the 9 chapters might not be as consistent. **

**I will be updating this story every Wednesday.**

**Please review to encourage her to write some more. :**


	2. Consider

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

The barman watched as the young man sipped his drink. He'd seen that kid before, always the same drink, same time, same expression. The boy was probably filthy rich, considering the jeweled family ring he wore on his right index finger. The man watched as he pushed his silvery blonde hair out of his eyes and took a drag on his cigarette. He checked his watch and quickly finished his drink. Paying the man, the teen thanked him and briskly walked out to meet a beautiful sunset.

* * *

He glared at the sky. It was nothing like his mood. It should be pouring hail from the heavens. Maybe a few bolts of lightning as well. He sighed, heading toward his car parked in front of the Hotel Angelique across the street. Nobody has to know that he went to that rundown little bar that he's supposed to be too good for. What did it matter anyway? He no longer had a reputation to maintain at a place like this. Nobody had a clue who he or his family is in the Muggle world. Besides, he owned the Hotel Angelique. Why go there when he could anytime he wanted to? 

Finishing off his cigarette and squishing it with his toe, he slowly sauntered down the street to his car. Man, what he would give to be back on top again. When people worshipped him because of his family. But not anymore. Not since the dark side lost the war. As if he wanted to join the Death Eaters in the first place. It's not like he had any choice. Hell if that Harry Potter and his crumby little know-it-all girlfriend weren't so annoying, they would have been great allies. But alas, it wasn't so. Not that it mattered. Nothing really mattered anymore. Harry died along with the Dark Lord and Hermione just disappeared into thin air. She's probably rejoined her Muggle family and forgot all about the Wizarding World by now. He stopped walking. Why was he thinking about her again? Oh yes, nothing mattered anymore. He sighed again and continued down the street.

Suddenly, a cry for help reached his ears, shattering his reverie. Had he heard right? He could have sworn that sounded exactly like Hermione. Why the hell was he thinking about her again? He shook his head. Now was so not the time to be thinking about that. Running frantically toward the sound, he began looking for the source of the cry. Dark alleys and horrid smells reached his senses, but he continued, determined to help someone in danger.

A flash of something caught his eye as he ran by yet another alleyway. Plunging through the darkness, he whipped out his wand. Better to be safe than sorry. And besides, he could always modify a Muggle's memory if they see something. Slowing down to a walk, he realized that he had come upon a man hovering over an unconscious woman on the ground. He was examining her jewelry and picking them off one by one only to stuff them in his pockets. To the boy's horror, the man then began to lift up the woman's dress. 'Shit!' he thought to himself, 'he's going to rape her!' Taking a deep breath, he held up his wand and stepped into the dim light of the alleyway.

"Let her go."

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I UPDATED!!! PLEASE REVIEW THIS STORY. It would make both our days.**

**Update Next Wednesday!**


	3. Reminisce

**DISCLAIMER: SAME AS BEFORE!**

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"I'm glad you decided to come have dinner with me, Hermione. It really means a lot." 'No… that sounded stupid. How much more clingy can I get?' Blaise shook his head. He faced the empty seat in front of him. "Hey Hermione! It's been a while since we last saw each other! How have you been?" 'No! Way too happy!' Blaise sighed. He was doomed to make a fool out of himself, especially in front of Hermione. Speaking of Hermione, where the hell was she? He checked his watch. It's already 8:15, and Hermione was never late. It must be part of her perfect and feminine ways. Tapping his foot, Blaise stared impatiently out the window that overlooked the front of the Hotel Angelique. 'Maybe I can see her coming through the front doors,' he thought hopefully. 

Staring blankly out the window, he lazily registered someone carrying a heavy bundle in his arms walking across the parking lot. 'Hang on… that's not a package he's carrying. It's a person!' Blaise chuckled lightly. 'How romantic.' How he longed to carry Hermione like that. To have her content in his arms. To smell the scent of her perfume and to feel the softness of her hair beneath his fingers, despite the fact that it usually frizzed out around her face. To Blaise, Hermione was perfect. He returned his attention to the man carrying his lady. She was wearing a stunning blue dress and had a fancy hairstyle that looked oddly familiar.

'Where have I seen that hair before?' The only time Blaise had seen a girl's hair as fancy as that one was when he went to the Graduation Ball with… Hermione. 'The Graduation Ball! It's Hermione's hair!'

Blaise shot up in his chair, staring in shock at the man who was carrying Hermione away. Now he was positive it's her. The dress, the hair, it all made sense! He remembered her dress to the Graduation Ball. It was the exact same color…**

* * *

((Flashback)) **

"You look beautiful, Hermione. If it's too bold to say, this blue looks absolutely stunning on you. Might I ask what shade it is?" Blaise smiled and bent down to place a kiss on her hand.

"Oh stop it Blaise," Hermione giggled, "and if you have to know, it's called midnight blue. My mother says it's a great color on me"

"It truly is. To me, you're the most beautiful girl here tonight."

**((End flashback))**

* * *

The man was now leaning down over Hermione as though he was kissing her. 'Goddamn him! I swear when I get my hands on him…' Blaise ran to the elevator, thinking of a thousand ways to hurt the man who took Hermione away from him. The elevator dinged merrily as it flew down the stories of the hotel. It suddenly lurched to a halt to reveal a family of 4 waiting to go down. But Blaise wouldn't let them. He furiously punched the close button and was on his way down again before the others could even figure out what had happened. 

The second the silver doors opened into the hotel lobby, Blaise rushed out the revolving doors into the cool night. Hurrying to the parking lot, he scanned wildly for any car that was leaving. Suddenly, the screeching of tires caught his attention and he whipped his head around just in time to see a sleek black Ferrari speed out of the parking lot. Blaise ran after it, even following the car onto the empty road. However, he was forced to stop from exhaustion and fell to his hands and knees on the street to catch his breath. Staring after the car, Blaise watched helplessly as its taillights disappeared into the night.

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**HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! Hope that you had a great one and enjoyed this chapter.**

**Please review and the next update will be next Wednesday!**


	4. Wanderings

**Disclaimer: Not Mine!**

* * *

The sleek Ferrari sped down the deserted London streets toward the outskirts of town, where the enormous Malfoy Manor stood. Steely gray eyes scanned the road as he expertly maneuvered the vehicle, occasionally casting a sidelong glance at his passenger, who was still out cold. He was surprised to find himself slightly attracted to the girl he had tortured through his school years. She wasn't nearly as ugly as he had remembered, though their constant bickering back then had probably given him a biased view of her. She had obviously matured. Her hair was sleeker and her body more slender. He even spied some makeup on her eyes and lips. How come he never noticed this when he saw her every single day? He smiled ruefully at the irony. 

As he turned his attention back to the road, his mind started to wander. What was Hermione doing at the Hotel Angelique? He had never seen her there before. As far as he knew she had no acquaintances that worked at the hotel. He stole a glance at her once again. Her outfit clearly showed the fancy evening she had planned. Who's her date? Was he handsome? Did he know him? Was he a Muggle? He snorted to himself. Most likely. Hermione probably only had a heart for Muggles. But maybe…

_Damn it! You hate her!_ he thought angrily to himself. _She's a no good Muggle that doesn't have enough money to wipe the bottom of your shoes with!_

_Yea well not like you're worth much now, with the Dark Lord dead and everything._ his other mind challenged._ The Muggle probably won't even give you a second look nowadays._

"Shut up the both of you," he mumbled out loud.

He frowned. God he was crazy. He knew it. He quickly whipped around at Hermione to see if she heard him, berating himself when she was, as expected, unresponsive. When had he gotten so paranoid?

As he began to leave the main streets and dazzling lights of the London nightlife and into the quiet of suburbia, he realized he had completely forgotten to call his personal physician for Hermione. Flipping out his cell phone and telling the speaker his doctor's name, he listened impatiently as it rang. After a few rings, the man finally picked up.

" 'ello?" came the mumbled greeting.

Draco glanced at the dashboard clock and winced. It was 9:34, and he knew for a fact his elderly physician slept early.

"My apologies, Doctor. However, I require your services tonight. I'll explain when you arrive."

"It's perfectly fine, Mr. Malfoy." He stifled a yawn. "I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Good." He hung up and pressed down on the gas pedal as he heard Hermione groan and shift in her seat.

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**Author's Note: I know it's short...but review?**

**Thanks!**


	5. Escape

**Disclaimer: Same as before

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**

_My head hurts. Do I have some aspirin or something?_

Hermione winced as she brought her hand up to feel a large bruise that had formed on her cheek. What happened? She felt the steady rocking that indicated her presence in a car. A nice car at that. She could barely feel the road under the smoothness of the tires and the soft leather of the seat was extremely comfortable. Suddenly, her fuzzy mind had registered that she, in fact, had absolutely no idea why she was in a car. A huge wave of panic ripped through her. Who's driving her? Is she being kidnapped? Of all the days not to bring her wand! Her heart beat furiously as her mind raced to find a solution. In short, she was terrified. Dare she look at the driver? What to do?

Apparently, she thought for a second too long. Despair gripped her as the car began to turn and slow down to a stop. They had arrived. Wherever that was. Was she going to die? She strained her ears as she heard the window roll down on the driver's side.

"Evening, sir," a neutral voice acknowledged to the driver.

The screech of metal reached her ears. _A gate I suppose._

"Thanks Richard."

_Oh. My. God._ She could recognize the voice a mile away. His voice had deepened a little since Hogwarts, but she could name the cold undertone in a heartbeat.

_Draco Malfoy._

The revelation stunned her. She barely noticed as the car began rolling up the long gravel covered driveway towards the front door, where a valet waited to take the car. She was now fully awake and starting to break out into a cold sweat. As the car was brought to a stop in front of the ornate front doors of the huge estate and the valet came to her door to lead her out, Hermione prepared for the worst.

The second the door was opened, she pushed it the rest of the way, knocking the valet to the gravel covered driveway. As fast as her shoes would allow, she scrambled blindly through the night. The uneven ground was difficult to walk on, let alone run, but she was desperate. She could hear the crunch of running shoes behind her, someone yelling her name. But she didn't look back. She had to get back to the people she knew, the places she recognized. She had to get away, away from Draco Malfoy.

She spotted the lights of the guard tower at the gate and pushed onward.

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SORRY its so short...and its late...I've been buzy...it'll be next wed I promise! 


	6. Fall

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

The moment he heard the yell of his valet was the moment he realized Hermione was running. How could he be so stupid? He should have checked if she was awake before letting the valet open the door. Now she was probably going to hurt herself, or worse. He watched a flash of blue rush pass the other side of the car as Hermione stumbled down the driveway. He knew she wasn't thinking straight. She was probably terrified, waking up in an unfamiliar car after being knocked out in an alley.

_Yeah real smart, Draco. I should have just left her at the hotel instead of taking her home._

So why hadn't he done just that? Why --

"Help! Please help me! I'm being kidnapped!"

Shit. Hermione.

With a sigh, Draco ran after her, knowing that if he himself didn't catch her, his security at the gate will. And he preferred not to explain to them why she was accusing him of kidnapping. Not that he had to explain himself to anyone. His guards' paychecks depended on him. They would question nothing. Regardless, he wanted to cause as little gossip as possibly among his employees.

"Hermione! Stop running! Hermione!" _Come on Hermione. Listen to me._

"HELP!!!" _Obviously not._

At least he was gaining on her. Her shoes were slowing her down, but she wasn't deterred in the least. He smirked. Some things never change.

But all his thoughts flew out the window as her shoes and the gravel constituted a dangerous combination. He watched almost in slow motion as she lost her balance, dirt flying and arms flailing. She fell ungracefully with a sickening crunch into a pile of dress and limbs.

Fuck.

Draco raced to her side and knelt down, turning her over and checking her pulse to make sure she hadn't broken her neck or smashed her head in or something terrible of the sort. Thankfully, her only injury was a small cut to the forehead from her impact with the sharp stones of the driveway. Well, only injury other than the fact that she was, once again, knocked unconscious. Wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve, Draco carefully picked her up and slowly trudged back up his driveway to the front doors just as the headlights of his physician shone brightly behind him.

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**Author's Note****: Thanks for the reviews! Please keep reading:)  
**


	7. Sleep

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything...maybe for St. Patty's day I'll find a pot of gold, and then I can buy the rights from JKR.**

* * *

"How is she?"

"I've bandaged up the cut on her forehead. It wasn't deep so no stitches were required. However, she does have a mild concussion, so she might have mood swings and headaches for a little while. She also twisted her ankle pretty badly, probably from her shoes. I've checked for other cuts or fractures, but everything seems alright."

"I see. How long do you think until she regains consciousness?"

"It's difficult to say. It may take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. I will come back tomorrow morning to see how she is doing."

"Thank you doctor. You are free to leave."

"Goodnight, Mr. Malfoy. If anything happens, please don't hesitate to call me." With that he was gone.

Draco sighed and looked over at the girl on the bed. She looked so small, buried in soft comforters on the huge king-sized bed. Sitting down next to her, he pushed back some of her bangs to reveal the smooth face. She really wasn't as ugly as he had remembered. Or maybe his view of her was just overshadowed by his rivalry with Harry. He never did seem to focus on anything other than Harry in his Hogwarts days.

You were probably just jealous that he could be so popular without the wealth of your family and the power of your father.

"Why do you torture me like this?" he pleaded into the darkness, placing his hands on his head.

You're the one torturing yourself. I just come along for the ride.

Mental note: stop indulging in conversations with myself.

Yeah, like that's gonna work.

"Shut up."

He retreated to the corner of the room and sunk tiredly into a chair, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. God he was so tired. His recent bouts of insomnia and depression have obviously done wonders for his psyche. He absently wondered if he would actually fall asleep tonight.

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**Please RR. We love hearing from our readers.**


	8. Delusions

**Disclaimer: NOTHING OWNED. **

* * *

Draco woke with a start. Something had moved. He could feel it in the air.

Blinking and rubbing his eyes, he stood and scanned the room, only to double take back to the bed.

Hermione was gone.

Fuck. Of all the times to fall asleep after weeks of restless nights. Lady Luck obviously enjoyed watching him fail.

"Move and I'll place a curse on you so fast it'll make your head spin." Draco shivered mentally as he felt the sharp tip of a wand at the back of his neck.

Well, at least he found her. Sort of.

"What do you want, Hermione?"

"Shut up! I'm asking the questions!" He winced as the wand was pushed harder against his skin. Great, he's going to end up with a mark there for sure.

The rustle of cloth signaled movements behind him and Hermione soon came into view, limping on her injured ankle and wand still held to his face. It was his.

Damn she probably took it when I was asleep.

She looked at him and released a bitter laugh.

"Draco Malfoy. I thought I'd never see the day when you would dare to show your face again. Especially after all that's happened."

Narrowing his eyes, Draco said nothing

She laughed again, wobbling slightly on her feet as Draco watched her warily.

"What am I doing here, Malfoy?" she demanded, eyes wild and wand still pointed at his throat. "Kidnap me and torture me? Is that it?" She blinked a couple times.

_God she's delusional._

_Like you?_

Draco frowned.

Before he even had a chance to plan out his escape without being turned into a knitting needle by Hermione, said witch had dropped his wand. Draco watched with horror as her eyes rolled back into her head and she started to collapse. Catching her deftly in his arms, Draco felt her forehead. He could've fried an egg on it. No wonder she wasn't thinking straight. He sighed and placed her back on the bed.

_She's really gotta stop doing that. My arms are going to fall off from carrying her so much._

He flipped out his cell phone and dialed his physician's number again. He's going to have to give him a raise. This job was too exhausting

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** Thanks to all our wonderful readers! We love you guys!**


	9. Lifeline

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.**

* * *

"… until the fever breaks." 

A sigh. "I understand."

"Well, I should be heading home." Sounds of rustling clothes and the snapping of a briefcase.

"I apologize for the numerous calls. Hopefully you can have a good night's rest after this, or whatever's left of it."

"It's no problem Mr. Malfoy. That's what I'm here for."

"Let me walk you to the door."

"Thank you, sir." The voices faded and the footsteps receded down the hallway.

Hermione groggily opened her eyes. Putting a hand to her forehead, she could feel the heat burning her face.

I have to get out of here. Before Malfoy decides to act on whatever he wants with me.

Slowly turning her head, she searched the dimly lit room for any way to escape. Suddenly, a flash of silver caught in the hall light attracted her attention. Malfoy's cell phone.

Creeping out of bed and tediously making her way to the table by the door, she grabbed the device and dialed the first number she could think of: Blaise.

"What?" came the frantic voice.

"Blaise?"

"H-Hermione? Hermione! Where are you? Are you hurt? Please! I saw you being carried away and I've been so worried. I –"

"I don't have much time Blaise. I'm at Malfoy's house. At least, I think I am. I think Malfoy kidnapped me. I don't know why but I'm not going to sit around long enough to find out. Please, help me…"

"Don't worry, Hermione. I'm coming. Please, be careful."

"I –"

Hermione soon found her hand empty and two gray orbs burning with fury came into view.

"Hermione?! Hermione?!" the phone crackled. "Hermio—" the voice was abruptly cut off as Malfoy closed the phone.

"You shouldn't be out of bed." The words may have been caring, but Draco's voice was cold as Siberia on a bad day.

"Why am I here, Malfoy?" Hermione demanded from her sprawled position on the soft carpet.

Draco said nothing as he turned angrily and grabbed her arm, half-dragging, half-carrying her back to the bed, to which he unceremoniously dumped her onto.

"You will stay here until I say so. Do not leave, do not call, do not do anything."

"You can't tell me what to do, Malfoy. You can't keep me here for your sick purposes. Someone's coming for me, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Draco looked seriously pissed off. "What the hell do you think I'm trying to do? Do I look like I fucking care about you or your stupid Muggle affairs? God, I don't fucking have time for this shit." With that, Draco stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Hermione heard the lock turn in the door before his angry footsteps faded away.

_What am I going to do?_

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**AN: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all the reviews! Unfortunately, this is the last of the chapters that are already written... Which means I can no longer guarantee the one update a week policy. I'm really sorry! I promise I'll write as much as I can when I can! Please keep checking though! I would hate to lose you guys :(**_  
_


	10. Burn

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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"Hermione! HERMIONE!!" Blaise yelled into the now silent phone. With an angry roar he threw the device at the wall, watching it shatter with satisfaction. He had been pacing the hotel lobby for hours, not knowing what to do and waiting for the police to come up with some clue what the hell happened to Hermione. So far, all they've found is some random gangster unconscious in a nearby alley with a diamond necklace he recognized as the one he gave Hermione. So if she was mugged and her assailant was out cold, who took her?

_Malfoy, apparently._

Where did Malfoy come from? He hadn't seen anything of the other since Hogwarts. He heard some bits and pieces here and there about the elder Malfoy and his connection with the dark lord. Yet after all the commotion, the Malfoy name dropped out of everyone's minds. So he just appears out of nowhere and takes Hermione? For no reason? It was all so confusing.

But there was no time to dwell on it now. There had to be some way to trace that call Hermione made. It's not like it was common information where Malfoy lived. Hell, it was probably protected by strong magic knowing all the precautions his father took to seal themselves away from what he thought of as the wizards and witches of "lesser" status.

He had to haul ass if he wanted to save Hermione's from Malfoy's twisted games.

As fast as he could, he ran in the direction of the police chief with his new information.

* * *

The bottles clanked as Malfoy poured himself some scotch from his personal mini bar. Sinking into a chair by the fire in the cozy den, he drank it absentmindedly, wondering if maybe, just maybe, he was a little harsh to Hermione. He sighed softly to himself. It wasn't that he was cruel. He just didn't know how to interact with people. He was so used to being hostile with the girl that he really didn't have any experience with treating her differently.

And the fact that she had accused him of attempting to hurt her put him on the defensive. Does she really think that lowly of him? That he would stoop to such depths when he hadn't even seen her face for so long? So he was a sneaky prick in school, but he's grown so much since then. The stunts he pulled on the goody-goody trio were no longer in his nature.

He swirled his drink and took another sip.

Though he wouldn't admit it even under torture, her distrust and suspicion had wounded him. And here he thought he couldn't fall further in her eyes. He didn't want to hurt her. He never did actually. She had always been an easy target with Harry being his rival.

_Big, bad, cold-hearted Draco Malfoy has gone soft in his old age, hasn't he?_

He hurriedly downed the rest of his drink, slamming the cup down on the table by him and feeling the alcohol burn down his throat and into his stomach. Without thinking, his legs brought him back to her door. Hesitantly, he reached out to turn the knob.

Suddenly he recoiled his hand. Was he really just about to go in and apologize to her? What was he thinking?

_Now or never._

Damn it. He really was getting soft. Again, he reached for the knob.

Unlocking the door, he peered into the darkness. Stepping inside, he slowly closed the door so as not to startle Hermione. Seeing absolutely nothing, he reached for the light switch on the wall, cursing his eyes for not adjusting fast enough.

With a gust of air as his only warning, his side flared in pain as something knocked him to the ground just as he flipped on the light. Coughing and sputtering, trying to get the air back into his lungs, Malfoy had an odd sense of deja vu as Hermione stood over him, threatening him with, not a wand, but a candlestick holder.

_You have got to be kidding me._

"Hermione, just listen to me. And put the damn thing down. It was my mother's."

The girl said nothing as she eyed him warily, not sure whether or not to trust him.

"I won't do anything, I swear. Just… trust me." _Please._

She searched his face, but he was emotionless, as usual. Yet there was no hint of aggression beneath his tone. She slowly lowered her offensive position with the holder, yet still gripping it tightly in case Malfoy really had tricked her.

Malfoy's heart skipped a beat. So she somewhat trusted him after all. Or maybe she's just waiting to bash my head in later, considering the way she was still holding tightly to the weapon.

"Um… you think I could… take the…" Her arms raised in a flash, attack stance back in place.

"Okay. I guess that's a no."

"What do you want to say? Just spit it out," she snapped.

So here he was, sitting on the floor after Hermione punched him in the gut with said girl standing over him with his mother's pure silver candlestick holder, ready to splatter his brains on the wall if he said something wrong.

_Great._

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**YAY! I pulled through and wrote a chapter for you guys! Of course, how could I keep you waiting for longer than a week? So I sat down and wrote this brand new chapter! I hope you like it!**

** I also tried to make longer than the chapters before. I know some of you were frustrated that the chapters were so short. Sorry! I'll keep trying to make them longer! Sometimes my writing creativity only comes in spurts, I'm afraid. :(**

** Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	11. Better

** Disclaimer: I own nothing**.

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Where to begin? 

"Uhh… I…." His mouth didn't seem to be cooperating. _Fabulous timing._

"I— " he tried again.

"Out with it!" Hermione cried with an exasperated sigh.

"You know you could walk out of here right now?"

Hermione blinked, completely taken off guard with Malfoy's random question. "What?"

"You could walk out of here right now," he repeated, gesturing at the open door. "So why threaten me with bashing my head in when I'm not actually stopping you from leaving"

"Is this a ploy to get me to put your mother's precious candlestick holder down?"

"Is it working?"

Hermione seemed thoughtful for a few moments, before lowering the weapon and plopping down on the floor where she stood.

"Damn ankle is killing me." She rubbed at the bandages, glancing warily at Malfoy. "I'll still use this thing if you try _anything_," patting the candlestick holder where she had placed it next to her as if it were a beloved treasure. He was really starting to hate the thing, not that he was particularly fond of it in the first place. It was just so… girly.

_Get back on topic, Draco_.

Right. Topic. He took a deep breath. And let it out. He looked everywhere but Hermione's face. This was harder than he thought. What was it about her that had him so unraveled?

"SorryIyelledatyouearlierI'mreallybadwithpeople."

"… What?"

Malfoy looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I hope you think better of me, Hermione," he said softly, barely above a whisper. In a flash, he was up and moving out the door, his cold demeanor and arrogant stride back in place.

"Get some rest. The doctor says it would be best for your injuries. You may leave whenever you wish to in the morning." With that, he was gone.

The door closed with a soft click. But this time, Hermione heard no lock.

_I'm so confused. _

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_What the FUCK was that?! DUMBASS!_

Malfoy leaned back heavily against the door to Hermione's room he just closed. So that hadn't gone exactly as he had planned…

_'Cuz you're fucking bipolar._

He trudged slowly down the hall to the huge mahogany doors of his master bedroom, yawning as he went.

Wait. Yawn?

_Wow, I might finally get some rest tonight._

Chuckle. _Tired of talking to me all night? Or would it be… yourself?_

_Just… tired._

He changed into his silk pajamas and lethargically climbed into bed. This was the most excitement he's had since the gardener had accidentally let a rabbit into the house, leading to a 4-day search of the 6-story mansion.

He had to remember to get Hermione some breakfast in the morning,

Sleep.

* * *

The sound of lightly clanking utensils and the smell of wonderful food reached Hermione's senses. Opening her eyes and rubbing them, she sat up slowly. Her fever had broken out in the night and her ankle was still sore, but she felt much better than she had the night before. At least, what she remembered of the night before. She frowned. 

"Good morning, miss."

Hermione jumped. She hadn't noticed someone there.

"Oh I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." A concerned face peered at her from the side of the bed. "I brought you some breakfast, courtesy of Master Malfoy."

A middle-aged woman with a kind, motherly smile stood beside her with a tray, which she set down on the small stool she had brought. She reminded Hermione of Mrs. Pot from Cinderella. She giggled mentally at the thought.

"We got some bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I hope you like them! Made 'em myself." She winked heartily at Hermione, who stared blankly at the woman, sleep still clinging at her mind.

"My name's Mariam if you need anything. Just ring the little bell above the bed and I'll get up here in a jiffy!" She smiled warmly again and left Hermione to her musings.

Carefully getting out of bed, she gingerly made her way to the bathroom to clean up.

_Ew. I look like shit._

She gently combed through the tough knots in her hair and started taking off her clothes to take a quick shower.

_Why am I in pajamas? _She looked down at herself._Where were my shoes? My dress? My jewelry? Did something happen? What did Malfoy do? Where are my clothes?!_

She was panicking now. _He wouldn't… would he?_ Grabbing a towel, she rushed back into the bedroom, not exactly knowing what she was looking for.

And then she found it. Her dress was on a hanger by the closet, her shoes placed under it. Her jewelry was neatly organized next to them on the dresser. She sighed, relieved.

Hobbling back to the bathroom, she found another set of clothes sitting on the bed, already made while she was washing up.

_Here are some clean clothes for you to change into._

_Mariam._

_Wow. Malfoy's a lot more hospitable than I thought. _She frowned again. _Does he even know that this Mariam is helping me? As far as I know, he only ordered for me to have breakfast._She shouldn't learn to trust so quickly. After all, he was a huge pain in the ass the last time she saw him. She was beginning to feel a headache coming on.

_Fuck this. I'm taking a shower._

* * *

**Sorry for the late, late update. Life has been getting in the way. We're both in college now so we even have less time to update. Thanks for sticking by us! Review please!  
**

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